Blackness is not simply a reactionary title or identity; that is indeed the "negative" way of characterizing African American identity.

I used to tell people when I preached at a church, 'If you want a great sermon, be a great audience.'

I was trying to write a straightforward book of sociological analysis, or at least cultural criticism, and I failed.

Bigotry is surely an exportable American commodity, especially when it comes to race.

I had an exciting, interesting childhood, to be sure, with all of the challenges that ghetto life provides - but had loving parents.

I've been a social gospel-er and a person who sees politics as a central dynamic to the encoding of religious rhetoric.

[ Mrs. James, my fifth-grade teacher] introduced us to these authors early on and taught us that their literature is important. Langston Hughes - we read his poetry. We studied who W.E.B DuBois was. And so she whetted our appetites.